This month, Gameloft is adding a new beach level, seen in “Despicable Me 2,” with themed costumes like the Snorkeler Minion and Surfer Minion. First new update was El Macho’s Lair, including the film’s villain El Macho and the purple Evil Minions

Studios like Universal have embraced free-to-play as an inexpensive way to give fans of their films new ways to stay engaged with a movie’s characters while creating a significant new revenue stream for Hollywood when the film it’s based on has long left theaters. The games earn money when players purchase new levels or upgrade characters.

“Despicable Me 2″ has earned $833 million at the worldwide box office since July 3.

Universal also was successful with another free-to-play game based on “Fast & Furious 6,” that Kabam produced.

“Gameloft did an incredible job recreating the Minions and the environments from the movies,” said Stephanie Sperber, president of Universal Partnerships & Licensing. “We are continuing to work hard to bring new and exciting content to the game to engage the millions of fans who enjoy ‘Minion Rush’ on a daily basis.”

“We’ve been lucky to work with such creative and visionary minds like the team at Illumination Entertainment,” said Julien Fournials, senior VP, production at Gameloft. “Bringing the Minions to life in a game was great fun. Our collaboration brought a lot of authenticity to the table, from the Minion voices to the uniquely comedic gameplay, and that authenticity helped introduce a lot of fans to the game.”